BOMBS AWAY!!! Skufca, Bissell Go Deep For Cubs

GLADSTONE---The games are usually nailbiters when Escanaba and Gladstone meet in baseball. Whether it be in high school season, or in the American Legion season, the two teams are evenly matched in most years...and they have been known to play extra inning games that stretch deep into the night.

So, when the Escanaba Cubs and Gladstone Indians met under the lights Friday in their annual Fourth of July weekend game, everyone was prepared for another long one.

But this time, the game ended so quickly that they didn't even need to turn on the lights.

The Cubs pounded out 16 base hits and routed the Indians, 14-0, at Don Olsen Field. The game was called by the ten-run mercy rule after five innings of play.

Escanaba Manager Tom Ohman says it's time for his players to get serious, with the team off to a 3-7 start before Friday night's offensive explosion.

"I told them that it's time to get going," Ohman said. "We had a little talk before the game. I don't know if that had anything to do with this, but we've been lackadasical lately. We haven't been playing well. I said that if we want to make it to the state tournament, and win it, then we have to get going."

And did they ever. After going out 1-2-3 against Indians starting pitcher Tyson Seymour in the first inning, the Cubs pounded out five base hits in the second inning. One of them was a long three-run homer by Tyler Skufca to straight-away right field.

"We haven't been hitting the ball real good," Skufca said. "We came out ready to play tonight and hit it good right from the get-go."

They kept it up in the third inning, adding six more runs to the tally. Justin Popelka ripped a two-run double after Seymour was relieved on the mound by A.J. Lundberg.

Then Sean Bissell stepped up and smoked a three-run homer to make it a 10-0 Cubs lead.

"It was just a full-count fastball," Bissell said. "Just belt-buckle high. And I just kind of put a swing on it, and I heard a 'ping', so I started running and it happened to go over the fence."

The hits kept coming in the fourth innng when the Cubs scored four more runs, with Bissell adding another RBI single. The 19-year-old catcher had a single, double, and homer, driving in four runs, and ending up a triple shy of the cycle.

Hunter LaMarch had three hits (double, two singles) and scored a pair of runs.

Brandon Punzel had three singles and scored three times. Eight of the nine Cubs starters had at least one base hit. The game ended before Ohman could even clear the bench.

Gladstone (4-8) chose not to start top pitchers Elliot Danhoff and Jake Peterson, instead, giving Seymour a chance to follow up his strong relief appearance in last Saturday's game against Green Bay. When that didn't happen, Lundberg took one for the team, as he threw the final three innings, yielding six runs on eight base hits.

Skufca pitched all five innings for the Cubs, allowing four hits.

Ben Schwalbach had two of the hits, while Peterson and Braeden Lamberg had the others.

The win for the Cubs (4-7) broke a seven-game losing streak. Escnaba hosts Menominee in a Saturday afternoon game at Al Ness Field. Game time is 2:00. It will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos taken by Sheila Olsen.